By Lori Korleski Richardson, Interim Communications Director

No warning came after a very pleasant fall Sunday, the second Sunday of October. The winds picked up after many had gone to bed. High winds, scary high winds. Then the swoosh of fire that claimed neighborhoods, hotels, a hospital, kennels and other businesses, meeting up with other fires, traveling over a hundred-thousand acres to scorch farmland and vineyards, sparing little in its path. More than 40 people lost their lives, and thousands more their homes.

More than a week later, the fires still burn, but recovery has begun.

If you were affected by the fire and need help, please let your clergy person know. Episcopal Relief & Development has given the Diocese of Northern California a substantial grant ( donate here), and generous gifts to Bishop Barry's  discretionary fund and to Incarnation, Santa Rosa, for  fire relief are being disbursed. Gift cards and gas cards give those who lost their homes the dignity of being able to purchase what they need as they slowly rebuild their lives. Prayers also are much needed.  Continue reading...

Convention is approaching quickly! Make sure you have registered to avoid waiting in line before Convention. General registration has closed; however, late registration will be open until Oct. 31.  Register here.

Join the Rev. Canon Andrea McMillin and the Rev. Anne Clarke for a pre-Convention workshop from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the McClellan Conference Center. 

Whether you're in a small church with limited resources, or in a larger place looking for a way to help your community find and/or build its collective voice, this is the workshop that will enable you to deepen your community of practice, through the shared creation of sound and silence. With simple chants and global songs, led by composer Ana Hernandez, we'll have a day of transformation and deep fun. 

The event is free, and lunch will be provided.  Register here.

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Speaking of Convention, all diocesan youth are invited for Convention overnight at Trinity Cathedral. More information is available  here.

• Oct. 22 - Christ the King, Quincy 
• Oct. 29 - St. Luke's, Auburn
• Nov. 19 - St. Paul's, Healdsburg 
• Nov. 26 - St. Augustine's, Rocklin 

Pathways 2018 will take us to Sonoma County where we will explore matters of social and eco-justice as we journey to the ocean, visit historical sites of immigration in the Bay Area, and meet   with people in these communities who are engaging in the work of reconciling us and creation to God.

We hope that congregations will consider ways to help support this trip financially and in other ways; we will offer scholarships and other support with the goal of making this trip possible for everyone who wishes to participate. Please be in touch with the Rev. Sarah Quinney ( [email protected]) if the cost is a barrier.

 

Dates: June 24-30, 2018
Location: Sonoma County 
Participants: Those finishing grades 7-12
Young adult leaders: Ages 18-30
Cost: $500 per participant ( $450 early regi stration discount by Dec. 15 & deposit of $50 due by Dec. 15) 

Apply online as a youth participant  here. (Email Rev. Sarah for a hard copy)

 

Apply online as a adult/young adult leader  here. 

 

You may download a Pathways flyer  here. Please post in your parish and/or relay this information in your parish bulletin.

F rom the Vestry and People's Warden Ted Migdal: "I am 

very happy to introduce you to our new Interim Rector, the Rev. Vanessa Glass. She will begin her ministry at St. Mary's on Nov. 20. The members of the Vestry are very excited to have her lead us through the transition process." Read more about the Rev. Glass.

Canon Stephen Carpenter's last mass at St. Mary's will be Oct. 29, with a reception after the 10 a.m. service. 

Trinity Cathedral's national juried exhibition entitled "Light Out of Darkness" continues through Oct. 26, with viewing times on Tuesday through Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and by appointment at  Beatnik Studios, 723 S Street in Sacramento.  For more information call 916.400.4281 or email  [email protected] .

The urge to honor and remember is long and strong in the human spiritual  story.   Join artist and teacher Lisa Thorpe in a day of art and meditation and community building on Saturday, Oct. 28 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m at Incarnation, Santa Rosa. 

Sponsored by Incarnation's Numina Center for Spirituality and the Arts, the morning will be filled with story telling of saints old and new. Each person will make a decorative icon on a wooden plaque. Lisa will bring images of saints to use or you can bring photos of someone who has passed that you would like to honor.   To complete the day together, everyone will assemble a beautiful Dia De los Muertos Altar in the church to share with the whole Incarnation community. 

Registration is $35; you may register here. For more information, visit Incarnation's website (scroll down). 

Join the All Our Children National Network in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 16-18 for a national, ecumenical event focusing the church's attention on the urgency of quality public education for all children. The event will focus on specific steps you and your congregation can take to deepen relationships, grow your impact in your community, and live out your Christian mission through local partnerships, action, and service.

The three day gathering will include informative, interactive workshops and plenaries led by practicing educators, experienced community leaders, and hands-on researchers, including a keynote address by Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. Learn more here .

The Church Leadership Conference is an annual gathering of vestry members and congregational leaders for practical learning, reflection and formation. The conference will be March 2-4 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Speakers and presenters will address core needs in strategic leadership, financial planning and creative communications. 

For more information and registration,  click here .